AES12: iZotope Technology Embedded Into Microphones

iZotope has partnered with Blue Microphones to develop Tiki, the world's first USB microphone that mimics the intelligence of human hearing. Tiki's Intelligent Speech Mode distinguishes itself with its ability to focus on desired sounds, minimize background noise, and intelligently detect when to mute altogether. Complemented by a Natural Recording Mode for high-fidelity audio recording, Tiki's two modes give any Skype user, podcaster or musician the versatility to quickly choose the best option in any situation.
For Tiki's Intelligent Speech Mode, iZotope adapted their award-winning Adaptive Noise Reduction (ANR) and Keyboard Click Reduction (KCR) technologies onto a low-cost Blackfin® DSP chip, manufactured by Analog Devices. "We admire Blue's drive and ambition to take microphone technology to the next level so that modern communication can be more enjoyable," says Alex Westner, Director of Business Development for iZotope. "The Tiki is breaking new ground and iZotope is proud to be a part of this mission." iZotope's ANR is based on the simple premise that speech and music are highly variant over a short period of time, while background noise is persistent and changes slowly. Using a sophisticated spectral processing technique, ANR can quickly identify and surgically subtract the "noiseprint" from the incoming audio signal without degrading the quality of the desired speech or music.
iZotope's KCR, however, is based on the inverse – keyboard click sounds are extremely short and transitory. As a form of noise, they tend to span the entire frequency spectrum. While ANR performs its sonic surgery over a long period of time, KCR operates only in short slices of time, ensuring that the speech or music you want to hear won't be interrupted. "As we increasingly rely on our computers for online calls, both for work and for fun, it becomes obvious how easily background noise and poor intelligibility can ruin your conversation. That's why we are excited to release Tiki, designed with noise-canceling technology never before used in a microphone. Tiki is the simplest way to ensure that your message--not your surroundings--is delivered loud and clear," says Brian Biggott,C TO of Blue Microphones. Pricing and Availability:
The Blue Tiki is now available in the US for $59 USD.
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